U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. was the most prominent commonwealth political figure to back away from a rigid gun-rights position.

In a brief, but reflective telephone interview with The Patriot-News Thursday, Casey said he was “haunted” by the images of the shooting, and that his wife Terese' reaction prompted his change of heart.

“My wife, she said 'You're going to have to vote on this'. How can you continue to support the concept?',” Casey said. “I knew I'd be facing a vote, and she was confronting me, and made me think. Being challenged by people that I love very much, sometimes human emotion, and outrage, and your own reaction can provide more clarity.”

As a result, the conservative Scranton Democrat, who does not own a gun, said he now favors President Barack Obama's effort to ban assault weapons and magazines that carry large quantities of ammunition.

“A lot of people say 'You were late to this, and what about all those other tragedies',” he added. “There's no good answer to that.”

Though Casey remained an unwavering supporter of the 2nd Amendment after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and the Aurora, Colo. shooting earlier this year, last week's mass shooting hit home.

“The reaction that I have and what others have doesn't happen after every shooting,” he said. “There was something about this event that moved a lot of people and myself included.”

And in what amounted to a startling admission, Casey conceded that he'd brushed off gun control arguments before being profoundly disturbed by the last week's elementary school shooting that claimed the lives of 20 children and eight adults.

“You probably don't do any kind of serious review sometimes of a position because you're on one side or the other,” he said. “That probably happens on other issues as well, but you rarely get shaken like I did and it caused me to think more deeply about it.”

Another Pennsylvania politician re-examining their staunch support for gun rights is Republican Congressman-elect Scott Perry, who a year ago passionately advocated an expansion of laws allowing attack victims to use deadly force to protect themselves.

Perry said he would be open in Congress to “well-considered and meaningful solutions that may have prevented this and so many other similar tragedies.”

But the York state representative was also wary of attempts to take advantage of the nation's period of mourning.

“I will not, however, be party to this tragic circumstance being used to further a purely ideological and partisan agenda,” he said in a statement.

Respondents in the poll said increased police presence at schools, increased government spending on mental health screening and treatment, and decreased depiction of gun violence in entertainment venues would be more effective in preventing mass shootings at schools.

Since the shooting, Gov. Tom Corbett has largely remained mum on whether federal or state gun restrictions should be tightened.

During a Thursday news conference he continued to go to great lengths to avoid answering that question, but appeared to share the view reflected in the Gallup poll.

“The assault weapons are already out there,” Corbett said after sidestepping several attempts to learn his position on reinstating the federal assault weapons ban. “A new ban isn't going to make [Pennsylvanians] safer. I wish it would. It doesn't. But if we help with mental health, hopefully that will make it safer.”

Even though both of his predecessors – Democrat Ed Rendell and Republican Tom Ridge – have called for a ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition magazines, Corbett was skeptical that a new assault weapons ban could be enacted on the national or state level.

“I'm going to follow the law,” he said. But “I do not think you're going to see a change in the law.”

Earlier in the week, a spokeswoman for the governor said the state's gun laws are adequate and pointed to Corbett's record on gun violence when he was attorney general.

“Pennsylvania’s gun laws are among the best in the nation,” said spokeswoman Janet Kelley, noting that Corbett signed a law two months ago that heightened penalties for people who illegally buy guns for criminals.

“As attorney general, he formed a Gun Violence Task Force to target illegal firearms trafficking in Pennsylvania,” Kelley said. “This has resulted in hundreds of arrests and the confiscation of more than a thousand firearms.

“Also, during his two terms as attorney general, Governor Corbett worked with schools and students, talking to children about safety and helping schools initiate security programs with local law enforcement,” she added.

In Washington, Vice President Joe Biden conducted the first meeting of the task force he's leading to reduce gun violence.

“The president is absolutely committed to keeping his promise that we will act, and we will act in a way that is designed,” Biden said of the group Obama appointed him to lead. “Even if, as he says, we can only save one life, we have to take action.”

Gathered with law enforcement officials, the Scranton-native argued that any improvements to gun control laws would only come with their strong support.

“For anything to get done, we’re going to need your advocacy,” Biden said. “We’re going to need your advocacy with law enforcement organizations in this country.”

Featured Story

Get 'Today's Front Page' in your inbox

This newsletter is sent every morning at 6 a.m. and includes the morning's top stories, a full list of obituaries, links to comics and puzzles and the most recent news, sports and entertainment headlines.

optionalCheck here if you do not want to receive additional email offers and information.See our privacy policy

Thank you for signing up for 'Today's Front Page'

To view and subscribe to any of our other newsletters, please click here.